Plain Jane

Plain Jane:

I could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my life, & if it were indispensable for me to keep it up & never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter. No – I must keep my own style & go on in my own way; and though I may never succeed again in that, I am convinced that I should totally fail in any other

-Jane Austen in her letters

I was recently reading a biography of Jane, where the biographer mentioned that Jane was only fully herself when writing letters. To say that such-and-such character is her mouthpiece, or that another illustrates her moral philosophy is to reduce her ability to create characters apart from her own viewpoint–which she most assuredly did. Through the rich history, exchanged stories, and personal observations of her family, Jane was able , in her own way, to create characters wholly unique from her own ideas, though she led a quiet, home life.

The Muser:

Hello friends! I'm Alexandria. After joining the work-a-day-world post-graduation, I discovered an overwhelming yet undiscussed malaise among the females of cubicleville: the general conclusion that maintaining femininity is an impossibility with everything else modern girls must do. My blog, Vintage Muse+Modern Views shows today’s girl how to link classic feminine grace to the modern, casual, fast-paced lifestyle (with a little DIY thrown in too). So, follow me! And learn that classic beauty and grace can still fit into your world. If you love vintage-inspired things, check out my Etsy shop too!